Fresh off the press are Aquabike rule changes for 2012.
When it comes to freestyle judging the changes are quite radical and they appear to be geared toward curbing potential judges' bias and making it easier for competitors to weigh the importance of each part of their routine.
Before we look at the details it is worth noting that Aquabike already has a 3-minute routine rule, as opposed to the more classic 2-minute.
XJETSKI.com has simplified some of the language from its original form, so in a nut shell, the main changes are as follows:
1. Minimum of 5 judges.
2. From a total of 100 points:
- 1 point per executed trick, for a maximum of 35 points
- Variety of tricks:
Aerials: 5 points for every different trick
On water: 2 points for every different trick
For a maximum of 35 points
- Maximum 30 points will be given by the judges for the quality of execution, innovation and presentation.
3. The highest and the lowest score will be automatically eliminated, effectively eliminating two judges' scores and thus eliminating potential favorable/unfavorable treatment.
4. In case a trick is not finished, or if rider falls into the water not holding his jetski he will get 0 points for that trick.
5. The judges may unanimously decide to allocate 10 extra points to the freestyler that performs a particularly spectacular or new routine.
How do you rate these changes?
To download the technical PDF document with all the changes in their original language, please click here.